Just to Tear it Down
by ColorMeCareless
Summary: Maya, a recently out of work biochemist, finds herself in the hands of Croc while she wages an emotional war against Scarecrow.  Croc/OC Scarecrow/OC
1. Luck

_Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any affiliated characters, just Maya._

**Just to Tear it Down**

Chapter 1 – Luck

"You look wonderful Maya."

I tore my gaze away from my reflection to look at the man standing in the doorway. He smiled and offered me his hand, "Well that's good 'cause it ain't gonna get much better than this, hun." It was true, the only time I ever even bothered to gussy myself up was at these parties Bruce insisted on throwing every once in a while. Bruce bought me a long flow-y ball gown every time. This time he got me a floor length crimson dress with black embroidered flowers along the right side and across the bottom. I always felt horribly over dressed.

We walked into the glass party room my arm in his I could feel all of the girls' stares burning into me. It was funny because Bruce and I were only friends, but, again, this happened at every party so I was used to it. I mentally scoffed at all of the girls there and their tight short dresses and their... enhancements… _Pfft! Who needs 'em? Not me, but apparently Bruce does._ I laughed as he released my arm and made his way over to a group of three of those women.

I shrugged as I felt the girls' turn their attention away from me as I began searching the crowd for Barbara. I found her at the bar sipping on some champagne. I didn't know Barbara that well, but because I had been staying with Bruce for the past 3 months I knew her best out of everyone else there. I was kind of between jobs after the Joker and… Scarecrow… decided that it would be fun to rob and then destroy the Gotham Laboratory.

It really broke my heart to see her in that wheelchair. She looked so pretty in her long purple dress. I knew she wanted to get up and dance like everyone else even though she'd never say it out loud. "Hiya Barbara, how's it going?" I asked as I walked up beside her grabbing a glass of champagne from the cocktail server.

"Same old', same old'," she replied turning her gaze towards me.

"Ah, yeah well it could be worse. The music could suck," I laughed trying to make her smile. I succeeded.

"Well that is true, but if you like the music so much why aren't you out there dancing?"

"To be honest… I don't really know anyone here well enough to dance with them and I don't really wanna go out there and rock out with myself 'cause, quite frankly, I'd look crazy!" I smiled showing her some of my "sweet" dance moves. _Not pretty,_ I thought to myself.

As the night went on I spent most of my time talking to Barbara about looking for a new job. She, of course, suggested I work at Wayne Enterprises, but I, of course, said no. I had no interest in petrochemicals, botanicals, or pharmaceuticals. I was quite content with just waiting for the Gotham Laboratory to be rebuilt so I could continue my own research, not work on some medicine that a random guy in Wyoming needed. Call me a bitch, but I just couldn't devote my life to that. I wasn't the Batman; I didn't care about every single person on the planet. Looking back, maybe it would have been better, would've made my life easier, would've prevented the Scarecrow from stealing my lab notes and burning the whole place down, and would've—never mind, hindsight is 20/20 after all.

At around 1:30 in the morning I decided that it was time for me to get out of there before I drank myself silly. I said goodbye and good night to Barbara and gave her a hug before I left the ball room. I didn't bother saying good bye to Bruce. I mean, he was a little bit…. pre-occupied. I'll just see him in the morning, I thought to myself as I made my way through the foyer to the other side of the manor to my room.

Under the grand stair case I noticed a male figure slumped against the wall. I looked around me to make sure there was no one else around and then slowly walked over to him. "Oh God, it's one of the cocktail servers!" I gasped as I saw the two gunshot wounds in his chest. I quickly knelt beside and checked for a pulse… Nothing. "Fuck!" I exclaimed terrified and angry, "Who could have done this? Where are they now? How did they get i-?" I stopped mid sentence as I heard the sound of a gun being cocked next to my ear.

"I don't really think how we got in really matters right now, sweetheart," a man coolly replied and I heard two other men snicker. I dared not turn my head I just looked out of the corners of my eyes. It didn't take a genius to recognize the man pointing the silenced pistol at my head. It was Two-Face flipping that damn coin again and again and again. "Now, tell me. Are you feeling lucky? You live," he showed me the clean side then flipped it over to show me the burnt side, "You die." He grinned, and I swear it was the most evil grin I'd ever seen on someone's face. He tossed the coin into the air and I closed my eyes tight and tensed up. I heard the coin land in his palm and him flipping it onto his other hand, "Well aren't you lucky, now just get the hell out of here," he demand. I couldn't move. I was too scared too, my legs felt like lead weights. "Either you leave now, or we'll see if your luck holds out," he smirked flipping that coin again.

My eyes popped open and I dashed out of the manor. _Oh my fucking God! What the hell just happened? Was that really Two-Fa—. That WAS Two-Face! I gotta tell Bruce. I mean… He's in his fucking house! But I can't go back… He'll kill me! I'll call him! _I stopped running when I reached the street. I pulled my phone out from between my boobs. _Ew, sweaty. _I dialed his number… No answer. I tried again… Nothing. _Ugh, that man! What am I gonna do now? Bruce and Barbara and everyone are in danger!_

I was about to turn around and run back to the manor, but 2 cars full of Two-Face's henchman pulled up. I didn't have time to hide. Two men pointed at me and started running towards me. I panicked and ran in the opposite direction, which of course meant away from Wayne Manor.

I heard them gaining on me. I was running as fast as I could in 4 inch heels, which turns out isn't all that fast. I rounded a corner into an alley as I heard them firing their pistols and almost tripped over a crack in the concrete. I caught myself on the brick wall of an apartment building. I didn't have time to catch my breath; I could still hear their footsteps chasing after me. I was tired; I just couldn't keep running. I had to find another way. _Climb? No if they see me they can just shoot me. Um…_ I looked around me frantically. _The sewer! Perfect._

I quickly slid the cover off the sewer. _God that smells gross!_ There was no turning back now. I had to go in. I didn't have time to think of another plan. I climbed down the ladder and made sure to close the cover quickly. It made a loud bang and I was silent as I heard the thugs' footsteps overhead. I was sure they'd heard me and I was sure I would be dead in the next 30 seconds. I wouldn't have been able to run. But they didn't. They walked away. I guess there was a reason they weren't the brains of the operation.

I sat against the stone wall of the sewer with my head cradled in my hands. I realized I had nowhere to go. I didn't know where I was; I had never been to this part of the city before. _I don't even think I can make it back to the manor from here._ _Even if I could get back there it wouldn't do any good… They were at the manor. That's the last place I should be right now._ I was shaking. I was terrified. I had dropped my phone some time while I was running so I couldn't call for help.

I sat there for a good thirty minutes before I heard movement in the water to my left. My head snapped up and my heart began to race. _Whatever that was… It sounded big! There it was again!_ I stood up slowly backing away from the sound when I heard what sounded like something large emerge from the water. I felt a tear run down my face and giant shadow was cast over me.

"What do you want, bitch?" I stopped backing up as the creature stepped out of the shadow and into the small amount of light let in by the sewer grate.

"Killer Croc!" I exclaimed under my breath.

"Aren't you gonna scream, bitch? Aren't you gonna run? That's what everyone does when they're scared!"

"Well I'm not."

"So what? You tryin' to tell me you ain't scared?"

"Oh… I never said that."

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><p>Hope y'all enjoyed! More soon! Review please ^_^<p>

C-ya soon

~Angel


	2. The Thought That Counts

_Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any affiliated characters, just Maya._

**Just to Tear it Down**

Chapter 2 – The Thought that Counts

"I n—never said I'm not sca—scared." I stammered mentally scolding myself for thinking the sewer would be a safe place to hide. _I'm just too damn tired and petrified to move._ He paused for a moment looking at me intently, like he was trying to focus.

"Hey, you're the broad Scarecrow keeps talking about. My breath hitched in my throat. _Scarecrow? What more could he possibly want from me? He's already ruined my life… twice… _I snapped out of my thoughts as Croc advanced towards me, a sickening grin on his face. I took a step back only to feel my foot slip off the edge of the ledge. It felt as if I fell in slow motion. I reached out for something, anything, the wall, rope, a hand, it didn't matter, but as I felt the cool sewer water on my back I knew I was in trouble.

I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and prayed to every god I'd ever heard of. I sank into the water for what seemed like forever until I heard, what could only be the Killer Croc, jump into the water and felt the wake he left in the water pulling me further down. I panicked and frantically swam for the surface barely taking half a breath before his rough hand pulled my back down. I couldn't fight him off, I knew that. I just focused on holding my breath. But my lungs were only so big and my vision quickly began to go black.

I woke up in a startlingly bright room. My chest felt like it was on fire and I was alone. Panic, I knew that's what they wanted me to do. _Well, then that's just what I won't do. That's just what I'm doing._ I sat up on the gurney I was laying on. "How long was I out?" I mumbled to myself looking around the room. Everything was white and the bright lights above made it impossible to see the ceiling. I looked down at myself. My dress was covered in God knows what and the bottom was so torn it looked like it had been eaten. I only had one of my heels on; the other must have fallen off at some point in the sewer. I gingerly took the remaining shoe off and placed it next to me.

That's when I noticed the blood. _My God! Is that mine? There's so much!_ I quickly checked myself over, only a few bruises, no cuts, definitely nothing that would bleed that much. _It's not mine… Who the hell's is it?_ My breath started to quicken and I jumped off the bed.

My feet touched the cool ground and I shivered. A horrible and annoying high pitched laugh rang through the room, "Welcome, welcome! Was that bed not comfortable enough for you? That's a shame; I had it brought in especially for you," I looked back at the blood, then back into the white void above, "Well, maybe not _especially_ for you, but it's the thought that counts they say."

"Shut up!," I mumbled under my breath.

"What was that? It's not polite to mumble," he began to laugh again.

"Shut up and tell me where the hell I am, Joker!" I yelled losing my patience. My palms began to sweat and I clench my hands into fists. There was no denying I was scared out of my wits and I was trying to compensate.

"Aww… You can't tell me you want to leave already. You just got here, and we haven't even had any fun yet!"

"This is supposed to be fun? You're one lousy host then." _What? What did I just say? I couldn't have just said that… What is wrong with me!_

"Come now, that's no way for someone in your position to talk," he sounded disappointed.

"Just tell me what I'm doing here. What fun could you possibly have with me? I'm just some random chick that… that thing kidnapped in the sewer!" I knew I wasn't making much sense. Since when did the Joker care whose head it was that he messed with.

He was silent for a few seconds, making me increasingly uneasy, "Hmm… I guess you're right. Well in that case I guess I can let Croc eat you. Oooooh Croc! Snack time!"

"WHAT?" I screamed looking frantically from the door to the ceiling and back to the door. It felt like an eternity waiting for death; my heart beat and the Joker's incessant laughing, the only sounds echoing through my head.

My whole body shook with fear as the door exploded in front of me and Killer Croc barged into the room, his heavy footsteps rocking the room. I tried to back around the gurney, but my foot got caught on one of the wheels and I stumbled backwards hitting the wall hard.

He closed the distance between us and I tried to push myself through the wall, "Now you're scared, aren't you bitch?" He laughed picking me up with one hand. I kept my head down and repeatedly punched his hand and kicked my legs tirelessly against his grip, but it was no use. "That's good, adds extra flavor. Now scream, bitch!" I brought my eyes to his as he brought me closer to his razor sharp teeth. I saw a raw, savage hunger in his yellow eyes as they narrowed.

I closed my eyes as I felt his hot breath on my neck and waited for the imminent pain, hoping just to pass out from the pain or die quickly, but it never came. I opened my eyes slowly, carefully. He was staring at me, hungry, but confused, like I grew a second head.

He shook his head and looked back at me opening his mouth once again and I knew this time there'd be no getting out of it. Croc grunted; _In pain?_ I saw the collar around his neck light up and I felt his grip on my loosen, and never had I wanted to be in the hands of a monster before in my life. I tried to grip his hand, but it was no use; he flung me across the room. My scream was cut short as all the air escaped my lungs from my impact with the concrete wall.

As I slid down the wall, warm blood trickling down my neck, I could still hear the Joker. Laughing. "Silly Croc! You know I can't let you eat her, Crane's got plans for her."

"You bastard! I'll kill you Joker and savor the taste of your warm flesh!" Croc grunted as some of Joker's goons armed with guns escorted Croc out of the room.

"You see Ms. Hensley, to me you are worthless, but Crane's a… friend. And what kind of friend would I be if I let that monster eat you up? See, I'm a nice guy!" He laughed again.

_The first chance I get I'm going to rip his voice box out._

"Now where is that scarecrow… Ah, here he is. You're late Crane;" his voice changed to almost a growl, "If I wasn't here Croc would've gobbled her up by now."

I lifted my head to look at Scarecrow as he entered the room. He ignored the Joker and stared at me. Part of me was terrified of him; terrified of what he'd down to innocent people, but the other part of me was sad. He'd gotten even skinnier than the last time I saw him. He was always thin, but he almost looked sickly. I couldn't see his face because of that damned dirty old rag, but I was glad. _Would he even look like the Jonathan Crane I used to know?_

The last thing I remember before I blacked out was Scarecrow's unsettling voice, "Come Maya, we have much work to do."

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><p><em>AN: Hiya! Hope you all enjoyed it. I sure enjoyed writing it! Anyway, if any of you have any comments or requests for stuff you'd like to see in this story, I'm always open to new ideas so feel free to review of PM me. Also, I just wanted to hear from you all on whether you'd like this to be Scarecrow/OC or Croc/OC fic. That's it... _

_C-ya soon_

_~Angel_


	3. Family Reunion

_Disclaimer: I do not own Batman or any affiliated characters, just Maya and anyone else you don't recognize._

**Just to Tear it Down**

Chapter 3 – Family Reunion 

"Man, I have got to stop blacking out," I grumbled instinctively rubbing the back of my head. There was no pain, no blood, "Strange… I could've sworn I was bleeding after I was thrown into that wall." I paused taking in my surroundings.

I was home.

"No, this can't be. I must be dreaming, or worse, I'm dead." I stood up slowly as if moving quickly would destroy the illusion. All of the furniture was just as I remembered it, but all of the pictures I had put up on the walls were gone, except one.

A family photo.

Tears began to well up in my eyes; "Nathan, my baby boy…" He was five years old in that picture, before we knew about the disease; before he… I didn't want to finish that thought; I couldn't finish that thought. My eyes gazed over the picture once again and stopped at _him_. That bastard was staring back at me, smiling, taunting me. He won. He didn't care what I thought, didn't care that he was _our_ son. Just selfish, and sick.

I couldn't take it anymore. That picture was a lie. _One happy family… my ass._ I ripped the picture off the wall. That man had no right to be in _my_ family picture. I took one last look at my son and through the frame against the wall.

I walked backwards, tears streaming down my face. I sat down on the couch and buried my face in my hands, sobs racking my body.

"What right did you have to take away my baby?" I yelled into the silent home. I heard small footstep running down the stairs, but I didn't bother to look up; _I'm probably just imagining it._

"Mommy… Mommy why are you crying?"

_What? No, this is obviously a nightmare, right? _

The voice placed a small soft hand on my shoulder. It felt so real; he sounded so much like…

"Nathan?" I asked softly slowly lifting my head to look at my phantom son.

"Mommy, are you okay?" There was sadness in his clear blue eyes; concern for me written all over his face. His face… His brow had already turned black and scaly, but you could still see how much he looked like his father.

_Maybe this isn't a dream. Could it be that everything else has been a dream, a nightmare? Staying with Bruce, Two-Face, Killer Croc, Joker… Scarecrow?_

Did it matter? No. All that mattered was that there, wherever I was, my son was alive, with me, and we were home.

"I'm ok, baby. It's such a nice day outside how about we go to the park"

"Really? I can go outside!" He looked so happy. How wrong I was to keep him in this house, just because he was a little different; I was going to fix that.

There was a knock at the door. Nathan was about to go answer it, "I'll get it, you just sit here, I'll be right back and then we can go, all right?" He nodded and I got off the couch and walked towards the front door. I took a deep breath, wiped the tear stains on my cheeks away, put a smile on my face, and opened the door.

"Hello, Maya."

My breath hitched in my throat and the smile on my face faded away, "Jonathan…"

There he was, standing in front of me; his perfectly parted hair, crystal clear ice blue eyes framed by his glasses, pouty lips and dark blue suit. I couldn't deny that I'd missed him; his soft touch, but that didn't mean I was going to let him into _my_ home.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well I was hoping you'd let me in so I could see my son," he paused and tilted his chin down, and looked at me over his glasses, "and my beautiful wife," his voice was velvety smooth, his face soft and sincere. It took all of my willpower just to turn my eyes away from him.

I folded my arms across my chest and looked back at Nathan who was pretending not to listen. "I'm sorry, Jonathan, but you're not welcome here. I am no longer your wife and don't you dare say that Nathan is your son! So leave before I call the police!" He took a step closer to me, apparently unfazed by my outburst. He touched my arm, and smiled at me like I would melt and give in, just like every time before, but this was not like any time before; "I'm serious Jonathon, please leave."

He shook his head and came closer to me yet again. He brought his face right near mine and I looked to the side to avoid meeting his gaze. I felt his hot breath on my neck and closed my eyes. God did I miss him, but it was wrong. He had made it obvious he didn't want to have anything to do with Nathan and we both had to live with his decision. "Just go!" I pushed him away still not able to look at him.

"You're going to regret this, Maya." His voice seemed to take on a scratchy quality and I slowly turned to look at him, afraid of what I'd see.

"What the-?" He was still Jonathon, or at least his face was. His suit had disappeared and had been replaced with dirty old scraps, but there was no mask, no Scarecrow, just Jonathon.

The scene in front of me changed and I found myself standing on my front lawn watching in horror as my son struggled to break free of the metal chains that magically appeared around his ankles and Scarecrow setting my house ablaze, all the while laughing. I started screaming and was about to run in when two of my neighbors grabbed hold of my arms and held me back. I yelled and fought and struggled, but no matter what I did they wouldn't let go. As if the sounds of my son screaming, "Mommy! Help!" weren't enough the rest of my neighbors had appeared behind me and started chanting "Burn, burn, burn!"

My son's screams cut right through to my heart, but his cries were becoming fainter and fainter as the smoke began to envelop him and all I could do was scream and cry out to him and for someone to please help him. But no one was listening they just kept chanting and chanting and chanting!

And finally when his screams died out all together everything went quiet and black and the next thing I knew I was back sitting on my couch like nothing had happened. My face was still wet from my tears and my throat was sore from screaming. The pain in my chest from watching my son die still crippling.

_Something's not right here. What the hell's going on?_ I practically jumped off the couch and turned to look at the walls. The photograph was there, hanging on the wall in its unbroken frame. Maybe it was the light, but I could've sworn Jonathon had smirked at me. _I have to get out of here!_ I rushed outside into the brisk spring air. I looked around, everything seemed so calm, so perfect, so unsettling. Where had all of my neighbors come from? There were no cars in any driveway, no lights on in any house.

"All right Maya, what do you remember before all of this?" I asked myself, trying to come up with a logical answer for what was happening to me. "I remember waking up in a white room. I remember laughing… Joker! Killer Croc was going to eat me. Being thrown against the wall… Scarecrow! What was it that he said? 'Come Maya, we have much work to do.' Oh my God! That sick bastard! This has to be his doing! That toxin of his… Jonathon! I'm on to you! You can't fool me that easily!" I yelled into the emptiness of the street.

"There has to be a way to get out of this… Jonathon your gas won't work!"

"Mommy? Why are you yelling?" I hadn't even heard the front door open behind me.

I didn't even turn to look at him, "I know that's not my son! I know my son is already dead!" I felt dizzy and my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my chest. A sharp pain shot through my head and my surroundings began to melt away.

I didn't know where I was I was too afraid to open my eyes, but there was no more cool breeze, only warm moldy air. "Scarecrow?" I asked hoping to not receive an answer.

"Yes? How was your little vacation? How was the little… family reunion?"

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><p><em>AN: Hey! Wow 2 chapters in 2 days... I'm spoiling you guys haha ^_^ Anyway hope you all enjoyed it and review please, I enjoy reading all kinds of reviews, nice ones... flames as well; if you're gonna take the time to type it, I'll take the time to read it. Oh! I put up a poll on my profile for this story so... check it out and vote! As well, suggestions are welcome! _

_C-ya soon_

_~Angel_


	4. People are Strange

**Just to Tear it Down**

Chapter 4- People are Strange

I heard his voice, but I could not see him. Truthfully, I couldn't really see anything; my head pounded, I was too dizzy to stand up, and it felt as though someone had put a black veil over my face. The walls seemed to bend and the blackness in front of me, that consumed the other side of the room, terrified me. I didn't answer him; I didn't want to.

I started to try to stand up, my back pressed against the wall for support. As I gained my balance, I felt my muscles tighten; my hands clenched into fists, as if from extreme dehydration. I attempted to move forward, pushing myself off from the wall, into the void in front of me. The ground beneath me felt as though I were walking on wet clay; my feet sinking deeper and deeper, my steps becoming slower and slower. _I've felt this sensation before…_

"Mommy… Mommy!" my son's voice called out to me. I turned around toward the direction of the voice only to find myself in Gotham Central Park. "Watch me hit this ball, Mommy. I'm gonna hit it all the way out of the park!" he called from home plate.

I heard the unmistakable chuckle of Jonathan readying himself at the pitchers mound; oversized wiffle ball in hand. I tried to move closer, towards my family, only to find that my feet had sunken even farther into the wet clay.

"Do your worst, Daddy," Nathan jokingly provoked as he took his stance at the plate. I looked back up at the two of them when I heard Jonathan beginning to laugh harder as he softly underhanded it to his son.

He swung, with all the strength his four year old body could muster; squarely hitting the ball over Jonathan's head. I cheered as it landed just past second base, barely making into the outfield. Nathan dropped the plastic bat and pumped his fists into the air.

"Yay! I did it! I did it! Mommy, did you see me?" he yelled starting his run around the bases.

"That's my little Bambino!" Jonathan cheered as he watched his son take his victory lap.

I cheered and clapped, but as Nathan rounded first he began to slow down; running away from me as the darkness that had swooped in enveloped him, my cheers quieted and Jonathan snapped his head around, at an almost unnatural angle, to look directly at me.

"Maya, Maya, Maya…" he turned the rest of his body to face me and only light shown on Jonathan. He slowly began to take a step towards me; mid-step Jonathan disappeared and Scarecrow appeared inches away from me. "Don't you know that this is all your fault?" He brought his syringed hand into my view and caressed my face. I tried to back way, get away from the monster in front of me, but I couldn't move. I snuck a peak down at my feet. The clay surrounding my feet had hardened and I couldn't escape.

"It's your fault that I'm like this; your fault our son is dead. It could've been like this forever…" I felt a warm tear run down my cheek.

"No! No, it is not my fault!" I kept trying to pull my feet free, but the harder I tried the heavier my legs felt and the weaker my knees became.

"Oh, look, she's trying to fight it, how cute," Jonathan remarked as though he was talking to someone else.

_How can it be Jonathan? His lips didn't even move._

"We need to modify the formula so the patient doesn't fall asleep. Fear is so much more intense while one is awake. We can also up the dosage, I believe; the patient seems to be able to break through much too quickly."

It quickly dawned on me that _I_ was the patient he was talking about. He actually did inject me with that fear gas of his. The pit in my stomach grew and I was losing my focus, my power over his gas.

I heard a laugh, _his_ laugh; rich, confident, and contorted, "Still hallucinating, my dear?" Scarecrow's visage vanished from in front of my eyes. "It's all right, don't fight it. Enjoy it, I know I am." He sounded so close, but no matter which way I looked I could not see him.

_That sick bastard!_ "What is wrong with you? Am just another one of your lab rats to you? Show yourself to me! Face me, don't hide in the shadows!" I heard nothing: no response, no movement. "Jonathan, you coward!"

Footsteps. Soft, slow footsteps.

His laugh rang in my ears, instead of resonating through my head. He laughed and laughed until I could feel heat radiating off of some unknown source behind me. "What do you mean 'face you'? I've been standing right here this whole time," he whispered.

His taunt jolted me out of my latest delusion and I quickly turned to face the demon behind me. My eyes searched the holes of his mask where his loving eyes used to be. He continued to laugh at my terror stricken face as I realized we were in the basement of Gotham Laboratories. "Why?" I whimpered catching a black blur whisk by the corner of my eye.

"Why, you ask? Simple really: Fear. Fear is the driving force behind everything."

I saw the black blur move across my vision once again and I feared I didn't have long before I would succumb to the gas yet again, "So is fear the reason you burnt down this facility!"

His demeanor seemed to falter slightly behind his mask, "In order to not be governed by fear one must understand fear, and I understand fear."

Had I not known him better than anyone and had not noticed the change in his voice I would have believed him, but I knew better. "Even if I believed that what was the point in killing our son in the process? Or was that the point all along?" I screamed on the verge of tears.

He took a step away from me losing any and all confidence he had pretended to have. I saw the black figure once more swooping down from the corner of the room towards Jonathan. As it got closer and closer I realized that this was no hallucination. "What do you mean I-" Jonathan began, but was quickly cut off as Batman's foot collided with his masked face.

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><p><em>AN: Hey guys, sorry this one's a little short, but it's the middle of finals and I don't have as much time as I'd like to write, but summer is on its way so I'll have plenty of time! YAY! Anyway, hope y'all liked it, I liked writing it. So, if you did enjoy it review! and if you didn't like it... still review and tell me why! One more thing, there's still the poll up on my profile for this story, so check it out and vote! That's it for now,_

_C-ya soon_

_~Angel_


	5. When You're a Stranger

**Just to Tear it Down**

Chapter 5 – When You're a Stranger

"Holy-!" I gasped as Scarecrow hit the ground, hard. I starred at the dazed and bleeding man on the ground. A dull pressure on my upper right arm shocked me out of my trance.

"Hold still, this should help," Batman stated calmly as he injected me with what I hoped was an anti-toxin. The effects of the anti-toxin were almost immediate as I my vision sharpened and my head was cleared of the pounding head ache I wasn't even aware I had.

"Look out!" I yelled as 6 armed Joker thugs burst into the room. They spotted us across the room and opened fire. Without a moment's hesitation Batman wrapped his arm around me and grappled us through the broken ceiling into the next level. As our feet touched the ground, rock and rubble flew towards us. The Batmobile was speeding towards us destroying the already weakened walls. I could still hear the sounds of gunfire and bullets hitting the stone around us as the Batmobile opened and Batman flung me inside.

The Dark Knight jumped in next to me and started to drive away even before the canopy could close above us. I was thrown back against my seat as the Batmobile accelerated away from the partially destroyed laboratory.

As Batman swerved through the brightly lit streets of Gotham, my mind kept wandering back to the visions I'd seen earlier. I tried to push them from my mind, but being in such a small space next to a vigilante wasn't making anything easier to understand.

He was quiet and stiff as we left the city and drove towards Wayne Manor. As we drove up the driveway I wanted to say something, a word of thanks, maybe, but nothing I came up with seemed quite right. The car came to an abrupt stop as we reached the front entrance of Wayne Manor. The canopy opened, and I climbed out. I turned to look at him; his face was cold and stern, "Now just try to stay out of trouble." And with that the canopy closed and the Batmobile sped away.

I watched him speed away. And even after I could no longer see the Batmobile, I starred into the distance. After a moment I furrowed my brow, "How did he know I was staying with Bruce?" I muttered under my breath. I was so lost in thought that I didn't even hear the large oak door open behind me.

"Ah, Ms. Hensley, this is a pleasant surprise, please come in," Alfred gestured tipping his head slightly and sweeping his arm inside. I hesitated a moment before entering the manor. Something just didn't feel right. It almost seemed as though Alfred was waiting for me to get back.

As I stepped inside the entrance hall, an unfamiliar voice called out to me. "Dr. Hensley, just the person I walked to see. We have a lot to discuss; I'm Lucius Fox—"he paused mid-sentence, looking me over. In the moments it took him to examine me I realized, for the first time, my condition.

I looked down at my feet, dirty and sore. My once pristine dress was now tattered and stained. The cuts on my face burned and my eyes dry and swollen. I reached up to touch my hair and immediately pulled my hand back. It felt like matted wet straw on top of my head. I felt disgusting and embarrassed to even be seen like this.

"Given the circumstances, I'll just come by tomorrow and we can discuss business," I nodded my head slowly barely comprehending his words. "Until tomorrow then," he smiled, bowed his head slightly and took his leave.

Alfred closed the large door behind him and turned to face me, "Would you like me to escort you to your room Ms. Hensley?"

I managed a small nod and faintly mumbled, "Yes, please." He offered me his arm and I linked mine in his as we climbed the stairs to my room.

We finally made it to my room after what felt like an eternity. I thanked Alfred for his help and closed the door. I staggered over to my bed, too tired and weak to shower or change. I passed out from exhaustion before I could feel the cool bed sheets against my skin.

* * *

><p>I opened the shower door, steam pooling into the rest of the bathroom. I wrapped a towel around myself and approached the mirror. I looked myself over; the stinging of the cuts on my face had died, but the redness remained. My eyes were no longer swollen, but they were still bloodshot, which, combined with my green eyes, made me look like some kind of Christmas clown. My hair had returned back to its original auburn color. It was no longer matted together and the soft waves fell around my face. With one final look at myself I finished drying off and got dressed to head downstairs for some breakfast, my stomach growling, ready to make up for two days without food.<p>

I walked into the dining area the smell of Alfred's cooking making my mouth water. He walked into the room carrying a silver serving tray. "Good morning, Alfred. Breakfast smells delicious," I commented taking a seat at the dining table. He said nothing, but gave me a very self assured smiled. As he placed a dish of food in front of me I realized that Bruce was not sitting across from me, nor was Alfred carrying another dish, "Where's Bruce?" I asked rather bluntly, "I mean, is he already at work, or something?"

"No, I'm afraid not. Master Wayne was out very late last night on… business." I knew what he meant. He was probably out at some party and he had brought home a girl, or two, to entertain and he had no doubt tired himself out.

I smirked, "I'm glad to hear that he can still be his same old self even when his friends are in trouble." I the smirk on my face fell into a somber frown and I realized that perhaps Bruce didn't care I was gone, I had just assumed—

"I assure you, Ms. Hensley, that Master Wayne was very worried about you. In fact, I told him to go out, otherwise he would have worn a hole through the carpet, he was pacing so much waiting for the Gotham police to find you" Alfred assured me, "In fact, when I told him you were returned he was very happy, but he did not wish to wake you." I wasn't entirely sure whether or not Alfred was telling the truth or just trying to make me feel better, but regardless it made me feel a little better and I looked up at him and smiled.

* * *

><p>As I swallowed the last morsel of food on my plate I heard the door to the dining room open. I looked up and saw Bruce walking towards me. As he walked toward me, he opened his arms wide and I stood up to embrace my friend. After a few seconds Bruce pulled away from me and looked me over. His eyes met mine and softened slightly, "Come Maya, I must speak with you in the library," Bruce stated and led me to the library.<p>

We sat down on the two chairs opposite each other next to the unused fireplace. As we settled in, Bruce leaned back in his chair, "Now, are you going to tell me how you got those?" he gestured towards the cuts on my face.

As I recounted the events of past two days I never once looked directly into Bruce's eyes. I sat, leaning forward in my chair, elbows resting in my knees, and fingers laced. My eyes wandered about the room. My words came out flat, lifeless; almost exactly how Bruce was looking at me.

"So then I asked him if fear was the reason he burned down Gotham Laboratories," I continued and as I finished that sentence Bruce's demeanor changed so much that I could tell without even looking at him. I lifted my head to look at him and found him erect; he was sitting straight and stiff, listening intently to my last few words as his eyes bore holes right through me. I heard him mumble something under his breath and just as I was about to ask him what he said Alfred opened the door.

"Pardon the interruption; Mr. Fox is here to see you both," Alfred announced stepping aside, allowing Lucius to enter. He had such an air of confidence about him as he strode into the room, yet there was a warm and friendly nature to his round face.

Bruce and I both stood up to greet him. We all shook hands and bid each other our good mornings. I had noticed that Bruce's demeanor had changed yet again; he seemed much more at ease due to the presence of his old friend, whether or not he actually was I'll never know.

We all took our seats and Lucius stared at me intently. His stare was beginning to make me uncomfortable and my gaze began to wander again. "I'm delighted to see that you appear to be doing much better," Lucius commented. I looked at him and gave him a half-hearted smile. A silence followed as I struggled to find something to say to this man that I knew next to nothing about. "Right, well why don't we just get down to business. Dr. Hensley, as of next Monday you will be resuming your research."

For a moment I wasn't quite sure I had heard him right, and for the first time that morning I looked at him, then Bruce, and back at Mr. Fox. "H—How is that possible?" I managed to stutter out, "Gotham Laboratories is still being rebuilt."

Mr. Fox smiled and my confusion only grew, "Well, Dr. Hensley, your funder, Mr. Grey insists that this minor setback should not hinder your progress."

My mind began to race: _Where exactly did he expect me to continue my research? Why was he so ardent about it to begin with? Why would he assume that I would want to continue my research? What purpose would it serve? Who would it save?_ _Most importantly…_

"Why are you speaking for Mr. Grey? Why doesn't he contact me directly?" I demanded. Mr. Fox did not answer me; Bruce, however, brought his hand up to his face and forced a small cough. "Bruce?" I asked questioningly.

He was silent for a moment. "Well, Doctor, I do so hope that you will continue your research," Bruce spoke sounding eerily similar to the Mr. Grey I had spoke with over the phone and in person on quite a few occasions.

"Bruce? You're Mr. Grey? H-how? Why?" I stuttered starring into my friend's eyes.

"I did it because it was simply the right thing to do. You needed fund for your research and I felt that your research could possibly help others who have the same genetically altering disease as Nathan. I also knew that you would not accept money from me, which is why I enlisted the help of Mr. Fox. He helped me create Mr. Grey as well as appropriate all of the necessary funds," Bruce answered calmly a small smile on his face.

I couldn't be mad at him; he was right I wouldn't have accepted money from him, especially the amount "Mr. Grey" had donated. Looking back I wonder I would take money from a stranger with no apparent motive for helping me, but not a friend. And he was right; I needed to finish my research in order to help others. Part of me wanted to laugh out loud. Helping others. Only a few days ago I said that I didn't give a damn about other people problems…

"All right, I'll do it!" I announced sitting back down in my chair.

* * *

><p>The following week was filled with ordering all of the necessary equipment for the lab, trying to gather all of my previous assistants, as well as trying to piece together what little information I had left from my previous attempts. I shuddered at the thought of Scarecrow and what he had done to me that day in the basement of my old lab.<p>

_My torment… for what? His sick pleasure in controlling people with fear._ _But why now? Why so long after burning down the lab? Wouldn't he have wanted to torment me right after killing our son… when I was at my weakest? _

"Dr. Hensley," Samantha, one of my grad students, startled me out of my thoughts and I swiveled my stool around to face her, "I was going through what was salvaged from the accident and we only have enough genetic material to last about a week based on our rate of experimentation in the past, however, the material is basically useless seeing as the subject—is no longer available…" There was an awkward pause in which Samantha anxiously flipped through her notebook. "In any case, we need to find a new test subject."

_Damn_, I thought,_ I hadn't even thought about that. _I placed my hand on my forehead trying to think, "The process of finding a new test subject, alone, could take months," I sighed trying to think of some way around this, there wasn't any, any reasonable one, at least. "But if that's what it takes, then that's what it takes, and I trust you to find them." I smiled at her. She was incredibly smart, if not a little desperate to please me, but then again all grad students were, even me. I knew that she would be able to find someone willing to let us run tests on them or their children.

Samantha cleared her throat, "Well, I've already run up a list of potential candidates all meeting your age and health specifications," she stated handing me a sheet of paper. "However," she began, hugging her clipboard to her chest, "I did have an idea as to where we could get some genetic sample as well as a test subject with whom we wouldn't be so bounded by ethics."

I knew where this was going, and I didn't like it one bit, "Now you listen to me, we will not sacrifice ethics just to make your life easier!" I half growled at the small blonde in front of me.

"I was only thinking of how much faster our testing would go with a steady test subject that can be controlled."

"I'm not forcing anyone into scientific research against their will! We don't even know if what we're trying to do will have any effect on him! His condition might be too advanced to be reversed!"

"But if we can get it to work on him then we know we can help everyone!"

"None of our experiments have proven that to be the case!"

"Our test subject wasn't alive long enough for us to finish any experiments!" Samantha blurted out. Her eyes grew wide as she realized the gravity of what she had just said.

"This may be just your PhD to you, but that was my son! Now, get out of my lab!" I screamed pointing towards the door. Samantha pulled her clipboard even closer to her chest, turned, and scurried out.

* * *

><p>The next day, as I walked into the lab, the Lab Techs were setting up all of the new equipment and chemicals I had ordered the day before. <em>Ah, the power of money<em>.

I walked into the store room, expecting to find Samantha in her usual spot, finishing up going over the new shipment, but she was not there, nor anywhere else in the laboratory.

"Did she think I fired her?" I muttered to myself, "Not that I could blame her... Hey, Dean," I called out walking across the room, "Have you seen Sam?"

"Yeah, she said she had an appointment at Arkham. Took the Impala."

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hey guys! Sorry this took SOOOOOOO long! But seeing as it was taking me forever to get this out I figured I should make it much longer than my normal uploads soo... here ya go! Hope you enjoy! And PLEASE remember to review and VOTE IN THE POLL in my profile I wanna hear from you guys! I want to make this story for you, so... TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT! ^_^ Thanks!_

_C-ya soon_

_~Angel_


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